About Packera pauciflora (Pursh) Á.Löve & D.Löve
Packera pauciflora, with the scientific name Packera pauciflora (Pursh) Á.Löve & D.Löve, is a species of flowering plant in the aster family, commonly known by the common name alpine groundsel. It is native to northern North America, occurring in parts of western and eastern Canada, as well as the northwestern United States. It grows in subalpine and alpine climates, including habitats such as mountain meadows. It is a perennial herb that grows one or more erect stems reaching up to half a meter in height, growing from a thick caudex and a fibrous root system. Its basal leaves have thick, toothed blades that grow up to 4 centimeters long, while leaves located higher on the stem are smaller and more dissected. The inflorescence holds either a single flower head or an umbel-shaped array of up to 6 heads. Each head has phyllaries that range in color from green to reddish or purplish, holds many disc florets, and often also has several ray florets. The florets can be almost any shade of red, orange, or yellow. The specific epithet pauciflora is Latin for 'few-flowered'.
